Home Office

Counter-terrorism

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many public bodies as defined in the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill do not meet the provisions of the Prevent duty guidance consultation document, according to each category of public body.

Lord Bates: The duty outlined in Chapter 1 of Part 5 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill (‘the Prevent duty’) falls on the specified authorities listed in Schedule 3 to the Bill. The authorities include local government, prisons and probation services, schools, further and higher education institutions, NHS bodies, and the police. The Government does not hold information about the Prevent policies and processes of all the authorities on which the duty would fall. There are many examples of good practice, but involvement in Prevent activity is not consistent across the country. In legislating, the Government’s intention is to spread that good practice, and ensure all apply the duty in a risk-based and proportionate way.

Asylum: Finance

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in implementing the changes to the Azure Card they announced during the debate of 20 November 2014 (HL Deb, cols 545–67).

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the abolition of the carry-over limit for Azure Card users has been implemented.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to make existing Azure Card users aware of the changes in that card's rules.

Lord Bates: We are completing the practical arrangements to remove the restriction that prevents Azure card users from carrying over more than £5 credit on the card from one week to the next. Card users with children are already allowed to carry over unlimited credit. We expect to complete the work by the end of February.Card users will be notified of the change by letter and there will be appropriate changes to our website information about the card.

Police: Firearms

Lord Davies of Stamford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of recent events in Paris, they are reconsidering the range of weapons issued to armed police units in this country.

Lord Bates: Following the attacks in Mumbai in 2008, the Government set up a programme to improve the UK’s ability to respond to this type of incident. As a result, there has been a step change in police firearms capability, speed of military response and the ability of emergency services specialists to save lives under higher risk conditions, as well as a range of other measures to enhance protective security.We have improved joint working between the emergency services. Specialist joint police, ambulance and fire teams are now in place in key areas across England, with equivalents in Scotland and Wales, trained and equipped to respond and manage casualties in the event of a marauding gun attack. Regional and national response to firearms attacks are regularly tested and exercised. However, since the recent events in Paris, and to be absolutely sure we have the right numbers of officers, with the rights skills and equipment, in the right places, we are working with police to review these arrangements.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Saudi Arabia and Egypt

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia about the public flogging of a citizen who professed his atheism, and to the government of Egypt about the imprisonment of a citizen for professing atheism; and what assessment they have made of how such punishments may be reconciled with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are seriously concerned by Raif Badawi’s case. The UK condemns the use of cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment in all circumstances. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) has raised the matter with the Saudi Ambassador. We have previously raised the case at a senior level with the Saudi authorities.The UK is a strong supporter of freedom of expression around the world. We believe that people must be allowed to freely discuss and debate issues, peacefully challenge their governments, exercise the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and speak out against violations of human rights wherever they occur.In Egypt, our Embassy in Cairo closely monitors cases where freedom of expression is threatened. I met the Egyptian Deputy Assistant Minister for Human Rights on 14 January. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers have been clear throughout recent events in Egypt that the freedom of religious belief needs to be protected. We deplore all discrimination against religious minorities and constraints on their freedom to practise what they believe.  We believe, as article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and that this right includes freedom to change one’s religion or belief. Any action to punish an individual for their faith or belief is not compatible with article 18.

Saudi Arabia

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia concerning the right to freedom of expression and the weekly public flogging of Raif Bedawi.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are seriously concerned by Raif Badawi’s case. The UK condemns the use of cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment in all circumstances. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) has raised the matter with the Saudi Ambassador. We have previously raised the case at a senior level with the Saudi authorities.   The UK is a strong supporter of freedom of expression around the world. We believe that people must be allowed to freely discuss and debate issues, peacefully challenge their governments, exercise the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and speak out against violations of human rights wherever they occur.

Saudi Arabia

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia on behalf of Raif Bedawi.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are seriously concerned by Raif Badawi’s case. The UK condemns the use of cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment in all circumstances. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) has raised the matter with the Saudi Ambassador. We have previously raised the case at a senior level with the Saudi authorities. The UK is a strong supporter of freedom of expression around the world. We believe that people must be allowed to freely discuss and debate issues, peacefully challenge their governments, exercise the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and speak out against violations of human rights wherever they occur.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Mesothelioma

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any of the successful mesothelioma research grant applications made to either the National Institute for Health Research or the Medical Research Council between financial years 2010–11 and 2013–14 have been funded by the £3 million contribution received in 2010 from the insurance industry towards mesothelioma research.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Successful mesothelioma research grant applications submitted to the National Institute for Health Research and the Medical Research Council have been supported by these organisations’ own funding. Two of the three Medical Research Council fellowships were co-funded with the British Lung Foundation and Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Fund which together provided £150k of the total £483k awarded to these fellowships. Both awards were made following the £3m fund from the insurance industry was established and donated to the British Lung Foundation for mesothelioma research. However we do not have information on how the British Lung Foundation attributed the £3m so cannot say whether any of this money was used to support the British Lung Foundation contribution to these fellowships.

Regulation

Lord Smith of Clifton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many sectors of the United Kingdom economy are covered by regulatory agencies; how many agencies there are per sector; and how the pattern for 2013–14 compares with that of a decade ago.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: A large number of organisations play a part in securing compliance with the law. They include national regulators, local authorities, and bodies independent of Government, some of which have statutory regulatory functions. [Data on coverage of sectors by regulatory agencies are not available].   Her Majesty’s Government has for the first time published details of the main national regulators, their remits and regulatory budgets and staff resource as well as the regulatory functions undertaken by local authorities on the BIS website: http://discuss.bis.gov.uk/focusonenforcement , a copy of which is attached for information.   This exercise mainly focuses on regulatory functions carried out in England. In the case of Scotland, it only applies to regulatory functions exercised in reserved matters. In Northern Ireland, it only applies to regulatory functions which have not been transferred. It does not apply to regulatory functions which are only exercisable in or as regards Wales.   Data about regulators was not collected or collated in this manner by Her Majesty’s Government. A decade ago, however, Sir Philip Hampton did publish details of a range of relevant bodies and a copy of this material is also attached for information. 



List of Regulators
(PDF Document, 401.43 KB)




Reducing Regulatory Burdens
(PDF Document, 616.8 KB)

Vocational Training

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what future plans they have to increase the provisions for free training linked to the Employer Skills Fund to eligible small and medium-sized businesses.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Employer Skills Fund is a project run in the Liverpool City Region under a consortium led by Wirral Metropolitan College co-funded by the Skills Funding Agency and the European Social Fund. Support will come to an end on 31 July 2015 when the current European Structural and Innovation Funds programme expires.   The new European Structural and Innovation Funds programme which will run to 2020 is currently being finalised. The Skills Funding Agency is working with Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership to determine whether any programmes similar to the Employer Skills Fund will be established depending on local priorities.   More generally, we are reforming the skills system so that it is increasingly responsive to local communities and businesses. Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), through initiatives such as City Deals and Local Growth Deals, have increasing influence over the delivery of skills that support the priorities described in their Strategic Economic Plans. This includes LEPs taking the lead role in determining the use of European Social Fund allocations in the next round (2014-2020).

EU External Trade: East Africa

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the trade agreement brokered by the European Union with East Africa, and in particular of the difference between that agreement and the previous duty-free quota-free access to the European Union under the Everything but Arms agreement.

Lord Livingston of Parkhead: This Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) will place our trade relationship on a more equitable, mature and development-focussed relationship with East Africa. It will secure long term, WTO-compatible, duty-free, quota-free access to the EU market for East African countries even if they no longer qualify for ‘Everything But Arms’. This is already the case for Kenya. The East Africa Community has in turn agreed to gradually remove tariffs on 82% of products imported from the EU, but only over a twenty five year period, with safeguards in place to protect their domestic industry. The deal also provides scope for negotiations on areas such as services, investment, and other areas which can benefit East Africa’s development.

Department for International Development

Asylum: EU Aid

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the European Union regional development and protection programmes have so far provided worthwhile protection or employment for refugees outside their own countries, for example in Tunisia or Egypt.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The EU Middle East Regional Development and Protection Programme was launched in 2014 to support refugees from Syria and host communities and build government capacity in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. It is too early to judge its impact but a monitoring system is in place to assess progress.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Suicide

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 3 December (HL2986), what is their assessment of the amount per annum spent on reducing self-inflicted deaths in custody.

Lord Faulks: Reducing the number of self-inflicted deaths in prisons is a key priority for the Government. As is the case in society at large, there is no simple explanation with complex and individual reasons behind any suicide.It is not possible to provide an accurate estimate of the amount per annum spent on reducing self-inflicted deaths in custody as there is a diverse range of activities being undertaken by a number of different organisations which contributes towards this.Within NOMS, this involves a wide range of staff at all levels in establishments to manage prisoners identified as at risk, ensure that the environment is safe, decent and secure and to enhance the health and wellbeing of prisoners generally. Other staff work at NOMS headquarters and regions to learn lessons from deaths in custody and to share good practice across the estate. Outside NOMS, a wide range of stakeholders advise and support NOMS, such as the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, Coroners, The National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group and the Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody.The Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) process, which is a prisoner-centred, flexible care planning system for prisoners identified as at risk of suicide or self-harm, is a multi-disciplinary process, and each prisoner subject to it is managed by a team composed of a range of staff drawn from the prison and other organisations, such as healthcare and education providers. The composition of the team will vary in each case. Providing an accurate estimate of the costs of ACCT is therefore not possible.

Ministry of Defence

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Lord Davies of Stamford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the functionality, reliability and resilience to cyber-attack of the Autonomic Logistics Information System for the F35 aircraft.

Lord Astor of Hever: The F-35 Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) has been designed to be resilient against cyber-attack and will be the subject of testing throughout the life of the programme. The ALIS capability has been used by the UK since 2012 to support the aircraft operating in the US and has not experienced any reliability issues and nor have the other partners.In terms of resilience and business continuity, this is being ensured via the ALIS network architecture being installed at Main Operating Bases and deployed locations, which include the Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers.

HMS Queen Elizabeth

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 16 December 2014 (WA 291), how many F35B aircraft will be in the squadron available at Initial Operating Capability for use on HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Lord Astor of Hever: The front line squadron at Initial Operating Capability in 2020 will be equipped with a minimum of nine F-35B aircraft, which could be supplemented from other assets from across the fleet if required.

Department for Work and Pensions

Winter Fuel Payments

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many recipients of the Winter Fuel Payment are higher rate taxpayers.

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, and if so how, recipients of the Winter Fuel Payment may return their payment to the Treasury.

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the revenues which would be realised by applying income tax to Winter Fuel Payments.

Lord Freud: Eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments is based on female State Pension age. The latest estimates we have show that there are currently around 600,000 higher and additional rate taxpayers in Great Britain in 2014/15 who are above the female State Pension age and therefore qualify for Winter Fuel Payments1.  We ask people who want to return their payment to do so by post so that it can be dealt with securely under existing Departmental financial processes and recorded against their Winter Fuel Payment account. We also ask for a covering letter indicating whether or not they wish us to continue to issue payments in future years. Returned payments should be sent to the address on the issuing letter or to the office that pays the claimant’s benefit.  The latest estimates we have show that treating Winter Fuel Payments as taxable income would bring in around £250 million a year of additional revenue2. Notes:1. This estimate is based on the 2011/12 Survey of Personal Incomes using economic assumptions consistent with the OBR’s November 2014 economic and fiscal outlook.The estimate uses ONS population projections at mid year 2012 adjusted for financial years.The estimate is rounded to the nearest 100,000. 2. This estimate is based on DWP modelling using HMRC taxpayer data from November 2012 and Winter Fuel Payment caseload data from Winter 2013.This takes into account revenue from Basic, Higher and Additional rate taxpayers.Winter Fuel Payment rates are assumed to be £200 per year for recipients under 80 and £300 a year for recipients aged 80 and over.

Personal Independence Payment

Baroness Sherlock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 15 January (HL Deb, col 893), in which he stated that the current backlog of claims for personal independence payment assessments stands at 107,000, what was the source of that data and where it is published.

Lord Freud: I refer the Noble Lady to the letter my Noble Friend Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth wrote on 21st January 2015 to Lord Dubs, a copy of which has been placed in the House Library, and is attached.



Letter to Lord Dubs
(PDF Document, 137.3 KB)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Japanese Knotweed

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment have they made of the rate and extent of the spread of Japanese Knotweed in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world where it is not native.

Lord De Mauley: We are aware that Japanese knotweed is widespread across many parts of the world; recent information (from the CABI Compendium, part funded by Defra) suggests it is found in 35 countries outside its native range. Following its introduction to the UK in the early 1800s, Japanese knotweed was first recorded in the wild in 1886. Its initial spread was slow. By 1930 it was present in 73 hectads (i.e. 10km x 10km squares) in the British Isles; by 1986 it had spread to 948 hectads and it is now present in approximately 2,879 hectads.

Ash Dieback Disease

Lord Framlingham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the incidence of ash dieback in the United Kingdom in the last year as compared with earlier years.

Lord De Mauley: The total aggregate number of sites with confirmed findings of Chalara at the end of calendar year 2014 was 949. This includes wider environment findings, recently planted trees and nursery sites.   This had increased from a total of 615 at the end of calendar year 2013, and 323 at the end of calendar year 2012. The first findings of Chalara in the UK were during 2012.   An interactive map showing the geographical distribution of Chalara in the UK is available on the Forestry Commission website and is updated on a monthly basis.

Trees: Imports

Lord Framlingham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are investigating the possibility of establishing a statutory quarantine system for all trees imported into the United Kingdom.

Lord De Mauley: The Government takes a risk-based approach to prioritise action on plant and tree pests and pathogens to improve resilience. We have produced, working with stakeholders from across industry, Non-Governmental Organisations, and the public, a prioritised plant health risk register of 750 known pests and diseases.   On that basis and where appropriate, we have acted to introduce movement restrictions or requirements for importers to notify incoming consignments of particular species - for example for ash, oak, plane, pine, elm and sweet chestnut.   We are also funding new research to ensure that we have a robust evidence base regarding the pests and diseases that could threaten our trees and plants.

Trees: Imports

Lord Framlingham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are taking steps to insist on the implementation of audit trails for all trees imported into the United Kingdom to enable them to be easily traced if necessary.

Lord De Mauley: The Government takes a risk-based approach to prioritise action on plant and tree pests and pathogens to improve resilience. We have produced, working with stakeholders from across industry, Non-Governmental Organisations, and the public, a prioritised plant health risk register of 750 known pests and diseases.   On that basis and where appropriate we have acted to introduce movement restrictions or requirements for importers to notify incoming consignments of particular species, for example for ash, oak, plane, sweet chestnut, pine and elm.

Waste Disposal: Crime

The Earl of Shrewsbury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Environment Agency intends to publish a Waste Crime Report for 2013–14; and if so, when that report will be published.

Lord De Mauley: The Environment Agency is currently finalising its plans to publish waste crime and other data for 2013-14.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Housing

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the demand for housing in the United Kingdom over the next 10 years compared to expected levels of supply.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government does not produce estimates of the demand for housing in the United Kingdom or forecasts or targets for overall house building.  Housing is a devolved matter in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each publishes projections of household growth which are published as follows:England: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/household-projectionsScotland: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/households/projections/Wales: http://wales.gov.uk/statistics-and-research/household-projections/?lang=enNorthern Ireland: http://www.nisra.gov.uk/demography/default.asp21.htm  Household projections provide a starting point for understanding future levels of housing demand and local authorities must take the projections into account when they plan locally.

HM Treasury

Government Departments: Pensions

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 6 January (HL3478) concerning the Government Employee Pensions liability, whether the £1,171.6 billion is part of, or additional to, the national debt.

Lord Deighton: We can confirm that the £1,171.6 billion Government Employees Pensions liability is additional to the national debt.   The WGA produce consolidated accounts of all public sector bodies based on internationally recognised accounting standards. The amount shown includes the pension liability for central government, local government, police, fire, teachers, NHS and Armed Forces staffs. It also includes public corporations.   A reconciliation between the Public Sector Net Debt figure, and the WGA Public Sector Net Liabilities figure, can be found at Chapter 3 of the 2012-13 Whole of Government Accounts.

Housing: Taxation

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what would be the financial effect of abolishing stamp duty on house purchases and replacing it with a form of Schedule A tax on owner-occupied houses; and whether such a policy would benefit house buyers, especially first-time house buyers.

Lord Deighton: Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) raised £9.4 billion in 2013-2014, of which £6.45 billion was from residential property transactions. Total SDLT receipts are expected to increase over the coming years, reaching £19.5 billion by 2019-2020 according to the Office for Budget Responsibility. This revenue would be foregone if SDLT was abolished. Robustly assessing the effect, including the financial effect, of introducing a form of Schedule A tax, based on imputed rents, to replace SDLT, would incur a disproportionate cost.   At the Autumn Statement 2014, the Government announced a radical reform of SDLT on residential properties to make it more efficient and fairer, ensuring that SDLT will be cut for 98% of people who pay it. The old structure of SDLT created distortions in the housing market and acted as a brake on aspiration as those wishing to move onto or up the housing ladder were met with large increases in tax when properties fell into higher tax bands. The new system will provide help to first time buyers and aspirational homeowners wishing to move up the housing ladder.

Insolvency

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many companies went into administration or receivership where they were unable to recoup all the VAT and PAYE tax due in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014; and what was the total value of the income foregone in each year.

Lord Deighton: HMRC does not hold the information in the request.

Private Equity

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received any representations to change the tax advantages for the private equity industry on the treatment of "carry" as a capital gain; and if so, whether any of those representations have supported changes in the tax position to encourage longer-term funds with 10 year investment horizons.

Lord Deighton: Treasury Ministers and officials meet with, and receive, representations from, a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the usual policy making process. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Treasury’s practice to provide details of all such representations.

Financial Services: Fines

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will list by year and by incident the fines levied by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Financial Services Authority.

Lord Deighton: This is an operational matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who are operationally independent from Government.   The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the Noble Lord by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Financial Services

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the European Commission over the conclusion of the Financial Services User Group Report on the €10 trillion European asset management industry that "it does not appear to be producing good value for investors with higher fees not producing better performance".

Lord Deighton: Treasury Ministers and officials make regular representations to the European Commission on a wide range of issues. We cannot disclose details of specific representations.   The government is committed to ensuring that investors are treated fairly when they make investment decisions and are able to get the best outcomes from their investments. Ensuring that investors can easily understand and compare products is an important part of this. The Government noted the Financial Services User Group’s contribution to the debate on these issues and will consider the recommendations made.

Pensions

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the practice in the life assurance and reassurance markets of pension buyouts and longevity swaps, what is their assessment of the expected growth of those markets and at what point it would require assessment of the market exposure to systemic risk.

Lord Deighton: The Government recognises that pension buy-outs, buy-ins and longevity swap transactions provide an important means for pension schemes and firms to transfer longevity risk to a willing buyer. Factors that may lead to changes in the size and quantum of these markets and their ability to pose systemic risks to regulated firms is a matter for the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Fuels: Taxation

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated loss of tax and VAT respectively from the sale of diesel and petrol for every 10 pence reduction in the prices of those fuels; what is their estimate of the annual loss in revenue from those sources this year compared to 2014; and what is the actual difference in revenue in the last six months compared to the same six months the year before.

Lord Deighton: In answer to the first question, the falling price of petrol and diesel is likely to increase fuel duty revenues. This is because fuel duty is a unit tax that does not vary with the price of the product. For every litre of petrol or diesel sold, 57.95 pence is paid in fuel duty.   For every 10 pence reduction in the price of fuel, there will be a loss of 2 pence in VAT per litre sold, if there was no change in consumption. Given there were around 45bn litres of these fuels sold in 2013-14, there would be about a £900m loss per annum in VAT revenue from a 10 pence reduction in the price of diesel and petrol.   Offsetting this, a lower price of diesel or petrol is likely to result in people driving more, consuming more fuel and therefore increasing fuel duty and VAT revenues.   This covers the direct effects of a fall in the price of petrol and diesel on VAT and fuel duty receipts; however, there are likely to be positive impacts on GDP, and hence on total tax receipts, from higher real disposable income and lower transport costs for businesses. A full analysis of these economic and fiscal impacts is not available.   For the second question, the estimated annual change in revenue of the latest fuel duty and VAT forecasts between 2013-14 and 2014-15 can be found in table 4.5 from the OBR Economic and Fiscal Outlook, December 2014[1]. Fuel duty receipts are forecast to rise from £26.9bn to £27.0bn, total VAT receipts are forecast to rise from £106.5bn to £110.1bn. Fuel pump prices have fallen further since the Autumn Statement forecast and a new forecast will be published with the 2015 Budget.   In answer to the third question, HMRC publishes a monthly series of National Statistics on receipts from Hydrocarbon Oils[2]. VAT receipts are not separately identified for specific commodities such as petrol and diesel. [1] http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/economic-fiscal-outlook-december-2014/[2] https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDutyBulletins.aspx

Students: Loans

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered any scheme to provide inheritance tax relief on bequests which are specifically and solely in respect of paying off student loans; and, if so, what assessment they have made of the impact such a scheme might have on the overall amount of student debt which remains unpaid after 30 years.

Lord Deighton: The Government has no plans to provide a targeted inheritance tax relief in respect of paying off student loans. The current inheritance tax nil rate band and rules for lifetime gifts means the vast majority of individuals are able to make bequests or gifts for this purpose without inheritance tax being a consideration.   The Government keeps all taxes under review.

Cabinet Office

Peers

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many nominations for peerages by each political party have been blocked by the House of Lords Appointments Commission in each of the Parliaments since its formation in 2000.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The government does not hold information on nominations blocked by the House of Lords Appointments Commission. This is a matter for the House of Lords Appointment Commission who are an independent, advisory, non-departmental public body.

Devolution: England

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 16 January (HL3924) concerning an English parliament, why Scottish and Welsh people were consulted through referenda about their future governance but English people are not to receive similar consultation about how they are to be governed.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Government has been clear that just as the people of Scotland will have more power over their affairs, it follows that the people of England, Wales and Northern Ireland must have a bigger say over theirs. The Government published a Command Paper on the implications of devolution for England which contains separate proposals from each of the Coalition parties.

Shaker Aamer

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Prime Minister spoke personally to President Obama during his visit to Washington in January 2015 to seek the release of British resident Shaker Aamer from Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Prime Minister discussed Mr Aamer’s case with President Obama in Washington on 16 January. As the White House spokesperson subsequently confirmed, the President made clear that he understood why Mr Aamer’s case is of great interest to the United Kingdom, and committed to prioritise it, while making that sure any action taken is consistent with US national security.

Department of Health

In Vitro Fertilisation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 18 November 2014 (HL2644), whether they will place in the Library of the House a full copy of the correspondence between members of the expert panel convened by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Zhang research group, as referenced by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health, Jane Ellison, in her letter to Lord Alton of Liverpool dated 30 October 2014; and if not, what was the evidential basis for the relevant statements in that letter.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 18 November 2014 (HL2644) and by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health, Jane Ellison, on 3 December 2014 (HC 216104) and 12 January 2015 (HC 220130), whether the particular member of the expert panel convened by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) who had corresponded with one of the authors of the research published in Fertility and Sterility (2003, Volume 80, Supplement 3, p56) had done so in an official capacity on behalf of the HFEA; if so, how the information thus obtained was shared with all other members of the HFEA’s expert panel and why this should be withheld from Parliamentarians when the data concerned is not otherwise intended for further publication in a scientific journal; or if not, whether they consider such a private email exchange to be appropriate and how that reflects the objectivity of the HFEA’s expert panel in scrutinising the safety of proposed procedures.

Earl Howe: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the correspondence the Expert Panel member had with the research group does not add any more information to what had already been outlined in the relevant abstract, by John Zhang et al, published in Fertility and Sterility, Vol. 80, Suppl. 3, September 2003, which makes it clear the complications related to the multiple pregnancy and that the fetuses were found to be genetically normal. The Panel confirmed with the research group that it did not publish any further detail or follow up to this study, so the Panel has taken the view that there is nothing further for it to consider in relation to this case. For this reason, there is no ‘data concerned’.   The HFEA has also advised that the member of the Expert Panel corresponded with one of the authors of this abstract in his capacity as a Panel member, not on behalf of the HFEA. This correspondence was shared with the other Panel members. The Expert Panel is independent of the HFEA and does not act of its behalf.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 12 November 2013 (WA 113) and by Earl Howe on 22 January 2014 (WA 129), whether the generation of any human admixed embryos as defined under section 4A(6)(a) to (c) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 would constitute genetic modification; and if not, why not.

Earl Howe: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) advises that the creation of human admixed embryos is permitted by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as amended, solely for the purposes of research allowed by the Act. These embryos cannot continue to be used in research after 14 days or the appearance of the primitive streak, whichever is the earlier, and must be discarded.   The HFEA does not believe that discussion of genetic modification, as it might be considered to apply to the creation of human admixed embryos, can usefully add to the debate on the definition of genetic modification in humans.

Cancer

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that patients in England have access to cancer-related molecular testing.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with (1) NHS England, and (2) other bodies, to ensure that they meet their deadline to implement the molecular diagnostics policy and service specifications in cancer.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with (1) NHS England, and (2) other bodies, to ensure that there is sufficient funding in place to cover diagnostics testing for cancer.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to standardise access to funding for cancer-related molecular testing.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of reduced access to molecular testing for cancer, what steps they are taking to ensure that targets for introducing and funding diagnostics testing are met.

Earl Howe: Improving Outcomes: a Strategy for Cancer (Department of Health, 2011) did include a specific commitment to develop a commissioning and funding structure which would enable the efficient delivery of high quality molecular diagnostic testing through centres of excellence. The first phase of this work included the establishment of the Human Genomics Strategy Group (HGSG). NHS England drew upon the work of the HGSG, specifically the report Building on our Inheritance; Genomic technology in healthcare (2012), in the production of the proposed genetics laboratory service specification.   Since 2011, the field of genetic medicine and genomics has progressed rapidly with many molecular tests now available locally. Further work is underway to better understand the specific responsibilities of NHS England as a direct commissioner of specialised services, clarify the legacy arrangements of how such tests are currently commissioned and ensure alignment with the National Tariff payment rules. This may highlight the need to develop specific commissioning policies, or undertake other commissioning interventions, that will support the continued diffusion of such technology across the National Health Service.   Molecular diagnostics for cancer is the responsibility of a range of commissioners, and historically many of these tests have been funded in a number of different ways including by industry (i.e., have been free to the NHS). The legacy work may highlight a need for NHS England to undertake commissioning interventions, which could include the development of specific commissioning policies or pricing work.   Funding for these molecular tests is complex. At this stage, the earliest opportunity for changes to be made to the National Tariff, should such action be thought to be necessary, is now 2016-17 with consultation on any proposals being launched in summer 2015.   In the meantime, NHS England is currently consulting on a new service specification for the genetic/genomic laboratory services which is its direct commissioning responsibility. A procurement process will take place following the consultation. The consultation, including the proposed service specification, can be accessed at:   https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/genomic-laboratories   The Department is not aware of any such targets for introducing and funding diagnostics testing. NHS England do not agree that there has been reduced access to molecular testing for cancer, but accept that there has always been variation.   The Department holds NHS England to account for achieving its objectives in a number of ways. The Mandate to NHS England, published by the Department, sets out its core objectives. NHS England must publish an annual business plan, and report on progress against its objectives at the end of each year. At the end of each year, the Secretary of State also publishes an assessment of NHS England’s performance. The Secretary of State holds regular accountability meetings with NHS England based on an assessment of performance against the Mandate and its wider functions.

Antibiotics

Baroness Manzoor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 31 December (HL3763) concerning antimicrobial resistance, how they will consult industry and recruit the group investigating interim issues; and how they will investigate pricing and reimbursement arrangements before the conclusion of the O'Neil review.

Earl Howe: The group to explore how to address interim issues pending the independent Review on Antimicrobial Resistance’s conclusion has not yet been established. Departmental officials have been working with relevant industry trade bodies, which will nominate industry participants in the group. Any discussion of the pricing and reimbursement of newly launched antibiotics or soon-to-be launched antibiotics will need to be framed in a way which does not pre-empt the conclusions of the Review, which is now underway.

Pregnancy: Sodium Valproate

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the findings of the European Medicines Agency review of Valproate in pregnancy, and the past issue of the availability of information to patients, why the new instructions from the European Medicines Agency have not become mandatory.

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to issue an apology for the failure to inform female patients of the dangers of Valproate in pregnancy and the harm caused to children as a result.

Earl Howe: Sodium valproate has been authorised since the early 1970’s for the treatment of epilepsy. It was known at the time of licensing that valproate was associated with an increased risk of birth defects and it was authorised for the treatment of women of childbearing potential only where other treatments were ineffective. The authorised product information (Summary of Product Characteristics or SPC and Patient Information Leaflet or PIL) contain warnings about the risks associated with use in pregnancy.   The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) initiated a Europe-wide review of the risk of developmental disorders in October 2013 following publication of studies which provided further information on the magnitude and nature of the risk of developmental disorders in children born to mothers who took valproate in pregnancy. The Europe-wide review, led by the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, was completed in November 2014 and MHRA is working to fully implement the conclusions of that review which are binding in all Member States. There will be a mandatory requirement for all manufacturers to update the valproate SPC and PIL with strengthened warnings and in addition new educational materials will be provided to healthcare professionals and patients.

Medicine: Education

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 24 October 2014 (HL2125 and HL2126) and 1 July 2013 (WA 191–2), why the review of medical and dental student intakes recommended by the Health and Education National Strategic Exchange for 2014, which was to be led by Health Education England, did not take place; and why, in its absence, they reconsidered the policy of reducing student intake.

Earl Howe: Health Education England (HEE) plans to undertake a review of the medical student intake in 2015 in the context of the HEE Strategic Framework 15, the HEE Workforce Plan for England 2015-16, and the recently published NHS England Five Year Forward View.   Working with the Chief Dental Officer for England, HEE took the decision to recommend a reduction in the 2014 student dental intake by 10%. This was in response to a number of issues including detailed analysis supplied by the Centre for Workforce Intelligence that highlighted key changes in the improvement in dental health within England and the need for NHS England to ensure it had available the appropriate workforce to meet the needs of the service going forward.

General Practitioners

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 24 October 2014 (HL2125 and HL2126), what plans they have to address the current shortage of general practitioners; whether they will review their decision to reduce the number of students entering medical school this year; and whether they intend to rely on foreign medical graduates coming to this country to fill vacancies for the foreseeable future.

Earl Howe: There are more than 1,000 more general practitioners (GPs) now working and training in the National Health Service than from the position in September 2010, the most recent figures after the General Election – these data are published once a year in September. The next census as at 30 September 2014 will be published in March 2015.   Transforming Primary Care set out the intention to make available around 10,000 primary and community health and care professionals by 2020, in support of the shift in how care will be provided. Bringing forward substantial numbers of new GPs through training is a key part of this, and Health Education England’s (HEE) mandate commitment will increase the total number of GPs available by 5,000.   In order to understand the needs of the primary care workforce of the future, HEE has commissioned an independent review. On 10 December 2014, HEE announced that Professor Martin Roland, Professor of Health Services Research, University of Cambridge, will Chair the Primary Care Workforce Commission.The work was commissioned by HEE at the request of the Secretary of State for Health, due to the future health and care system requiring greater emphasis on community, primary and integrated services, and to ensure that we have the primary care workforce to meet the changing needs for healthcare, therefore it will focus on:- patient and population need;  - emerging models of care to respond to the population need;  - maximising new skill sets; and - education and training.HEE are currently implementing a number of projects to support recruitment into practice. This includes a pre-GP year pilot in five Local Education and Training Boards that provides targeted educational development for those expressing interest in general practice, and the launch of a primary and community care programme.   HEE plan to undertake a review of the medical student intake in 2015 in the context of the HEE Strategic Framework 15, the HEE Workforce Plan for England 2015-16, and the recently published NHS England Five Year Forward View.

Lyme Disease

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the rate and extent of the spread of Lyme disease in (1) the United Kingdom, (2) other parts of the European Union, and (3) other parts of the world.

Earl Howe: Public Health England monitors laboratory-confirmed Lyme disease (also known as Lyme borreliosis) in England and Wales, devolved administrations of Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate local arrangements in place.   The rate of laboratory-confirmed Lyme borreliosis and its regional distribution in England and Wales has not changed significantly in recent years, data for 2013 will be published shortly.   Assessment of Lyme borreliosis in other European Union (EU) countries is co-ordinated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Reporting systems and criteria are not standardised throughout EU countries and this data is not routinely collected by ECDC. Therefore as an assessment of Lyme borreliosis using routinely collected data across the EU is not available.   Reporting of Lyme borreliosis worldwide is co-ordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO) based on the heterogeneous reporting systems and criteria adopted by individual countries.

Lyme Disease

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the recorded number of occurrences of Lyme disease in the United Kingdom in each of the past 10 years; whether they have estimated the extent of under-reporting; and what assessment they have made of the number of cases of Lyme disease in (1) the United States, and (2) other member countries of the European Union, in the latest year for which they have information.

Earl Howe: The recorded number of occurrences of Lyme disease in the United Kingdom from 2004-2012 is shown in the following table:   Year of report200420052006200720082009201020112012 Lyme disease cases in UK 5866939401,0271,0981,0931,2131,1891,163   Data from 2013 is not currently available.   It is estimated that between 1,000 and 2,000 additional cases of Lyme disease may occur each year in England and Wales.   The recorded number of occurrences of Lyme disease in the United States in each of the past 10 years is shown in the following table:2004200520062007200820092010201120122013TOTAL USA19,80423,30519,93127,44428,92129,95922,56124,36422,01427,203 Source: CDC http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/index.html   Notes: The recorded number of occurrences of Lyme disease are not systematically reported. A paper in 2009 provided an estimate of 65,000 cases (Hubalek 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19367096)   Data on the number of occurrences of Lyme disease in other European Union member states is not held.

Lyme Disease

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the quality and availability of tests for Lyme disease and related diseases in (1) the United Kingdom, (2) the rest of the European Union, and (3) North America.

Earl Howe: Public Health England (PHE) actively reviews test methodologies for Lyme disease based on peer reviewed reports and on evaluation of possible alternative test kits within the laboratory. As part of this work, staff from the Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL) have attended international conferences, including those organised by pressure groups proposing alternative testing systems to those used in state laboratories, and met with private and state laboratory service providers in Europe and the United States.   RIPL offers a telephone advice line to clinicians with problem cases, and also works with the patient charity Lyme Disease Action to address the needs of individual patients. RIPL also participates in a European external quality assessment programme, and cross-compares results with Raigmore Hospital in Scotland.   All diagnostic tests for infectious diseases are less sensitive in the very early stages of disease, and the results of a laboratory test have to be interpreted in this light and in conjunction with the patient’s presentation. Whilst the current tests are not perfect, none of the alternatives have yet proven superior to accepted methodologies. Any novel methods to test for Lyme disease are kept under review.

Chiropody

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that the National Health Service is able to meet any increased need for podiatry services, in the light of the numbers of elderly people and the incidence of diabetes.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government in how many Clinical Commissioning Groups are (1) major, and (2) minor, amputation rates more than 33 per cent above the national average.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will issue guidance to the National Health Service on best practice for footcare management.

Earl Howe: Foot care services are commissioned locally by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), working with local partners and are based on the need of the local population, resources available and evidence based practice. These commissioning decisions are informed by the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and the local Health and Wellbeing Strategy.   Within NHS England, the National Clinical Director for Rehabilitation and Recovery in the Community and the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer are leading work to improve adult rehabilitation services including collection and dissemination of best practice.   Footcare services for older people, published by the Department in 2009, highlighted five potential models of safe and effective foot care service provision. This includes working in partnership across the health and social care spectrum and may involve training others e.g. within nursing homes or home care agencies to carry out simple foot care. Other models help empower patients to self-care where it is possible and safe to do so.   National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Clinical Guidelines 119 (on inpatient management of diabetic foot problems) and 10 (on Type 2 diabetes foot problems) offer guidance on best practice for foot care management in diabetes. These guidelines are being updated as one document – Diabetic Foot Problems, which is currently out to consultation.   It is not possible to distinguish in Hospital Episode Statistics between “major” and “minor” amputations.   The Health and Social Care Information Centre has calculated the England average rate of amputation per 100,000 population and highlighted the CCGs of residence having rates more than 33% higher than the national average. There are 25 such CCGs which are identified in the attached table. This is not a count of people as the same person may have had more than one episode of care within the same time period.   We do not have information on a comparison of rates of amputation with other European Union member states. 



Counts of Finished Consultant Episodes
(Excel SpreadSheet, 31.44 KB)

Opiates: Misuse

Lord Patel of Bradford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for the 32 per cent rise in the number of deaths from heroin or morphine abuse between 2012 and 2013; and how many of the 765 people who died as a result of heroin or morphine abuse in 2013 had left drug treatment in the month that preceded their death.

Earl Howe: At this stage it is not possible to draw any definitive conclusions about a longer-term trend in deaths from one year’s data. Public Health England is currently analysing the data to better understand the reasons for the increase.

Hospitals: Lancashire

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many patients presented themselves to the Accident and Emergency and Urgent Care Units at the Royal Blackburn Hospital and Burnley General Hospital respectively in each month in the last two years; and in each month how many of those patients were admitted for treatment.

Earl Howe: Information is not available in the format requested.   Information showing quarterly accident and emergency activity and admissions at the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust between Q4 2010-11 and Q4 2014-15, is shown in the attached tables. 



A&E Activity Table 1
(Word Document, 33.98 KB)




A&E Activity Table 2
(Word Document, 33.49 KB)

Social Services: National Vocational Qualifications

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered whether it is appropriate that the requirement for an NVQ1 Care Qualification would prevent an experienced teacher with special needs training from working with elderly dementia patients if a back problem prevented that individual from demonstrating making a bed.

Earl Howe: The Department does not set the standards/criteria for attainment of NVQ qualifications. This is the responsibility of the appropriate awarding bodies working in partnership with employers, employer representative bodies and sector skills council in the relevant sector. Any proposed revision to NVQ qualifications would be a matter for consideration by the awarding bodies with relevant employers, employer representative bodies and sector skills council.   There is no requirement in adult social care currently for a care worker to hold a specific qualification in order to work in this role. However, under the Care Quality Commission’s registration system, it is the responsibility of the social care employer to determine the range of duties undertaken by the care worker and to ensure they have the necessary training and skills for those duties.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 12 November 2013 (WA 113–4), by Earl Howe on 30 October 2013 (WA 259) and 22 January 2014 (WA 128–9), the Written Statement by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health, Jane Ellison, on 17 December 2014 (HC Deb, cols 96–7WS) and the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health, Jane Ellison, on 12 January 2015 (HC220181), whether section 3ZA(4)(b) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended) and paragraph 1(4) of Schedule 2 (activities for which licences may be granted: licences for treatment) would already permit spindle-chromosomal complex transfer or pronuclear transfer to be licensed for use in treatments on the basis of their various statements that neither the nuclear DNA nor the mitochondrial DNA of eggs or embryos would be altered by virtue of using these techniques; if so, what is the purpose of the proposed regulations 4(a)–(c) and 7(a)–(c) of the Draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 for otherwise proscribed procedures if "no nuclear or mitochondrial DNA of any cell of the embryo has been altered"; or if not, how the need for further regulations under section 3ZA(5) of the Act to permit clinical interventions in which "all the nuclear DNA" is removed so as to entail "altering the nuclear or mitochondrial DNA of a cell while it forms part of an embryo" can be reconciled with assurances that "the donated mitochondria will not be altered nor will the nuclear DNA of the child’s parents’ egg or embryo that will be used in these procedures."

Earl Howe: The Department is confident that the Draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 have a sound legislative base in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as amended.

Sexual Assault Referral Centres

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding they have provided towards the costs of Sexual Assault Referral Centres, and what funding will be provided in 2015–16.

Earl Howe: Sexual assault services are a public health function commissioned under section 7A (S7A) of the National Health Service Act 2006. They are commissioned as part of NHS England’s health and justice arrangements because of the alignment with the criminal justice system.   Funding of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) in 2013-14, was based on the previous year’s NHS investment from primary care trusts, which was £8.98 million. This was uplifted in 2014-15 to £16.5 million. The funding for 2015-16 is currently being agreed.   Other investors in SARC services include police forces, Police and Crime Commissioners, local authorities and the Home Office.

Ambulance Services: Greater London

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of calls relating to an immediately life threatening situation received an emergency response from the London Ambulance Service within eight minutes in each of the last three months in each London Borough area; and what proportion of requests for transport was responded to with an ambulance vehicle capable of transporting the patient safely within 19 minutes of such a request being made.

Earl Howe: The information in the attached tables shows performance data for the London Ambulance Service from October 2014 to December 2014, detailing the response times within eight minutes and 19 minute for each London borough. 



October 2014 data.
(Excel SpreadSheet, 82.28 KB)




November 2014 data
(Excel SpreadSheet, 82.27 KB)




December 2014 data
(Excel SpreadSheet, 82.43 KB)